Stafford’s TD pass after Rodgers’ turnover leads Rams past Jets 19-9
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Matthew Stafford threw a go-ahead 11-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Higbee early in the fourth quarter after a turnover by Aaron Rodgers and the Los Angeles Rams beat the New York Jets 19-9 on Sunday for their fourth consecutive victory.
The Rams (9-6), who have won five of six, maintained their spot atop the NFC West standings with the victory after a slow start against the Jets (4-11) on a day when it was a frosty 23 degrees (minus-5 Celsius) at kickoff.
But Los Angeles’ defense, which struggled most of the game against Rodgers and New York’s offense, came up with a momentum-turning play.
With the game tied at 9 early in the fourth quarter, Kam Curl sacked Rodgers on a blitz and forced a fumble that Jared Verse recovered at the Jets 21.
Three plays later, Stafford found Higbee — making his season debut after missing the first 14 games with a knee injury — for a go-ahead 11-yard touchdown that made it 16-9.
Rodgers limped a bit off the field after the strip-sack and briefly went to the injury tent, but returned on the Jets’ next series.
Joshua Karty’s 45-yard field goal put the Rams up by two scores at 19-9 with 5:17 left.
The Jets couldn’t muster a comeback attempt. Anders Carlson’s 48-yard attempt with 1:57 remaining was wide right. New York had another chance to get the ball, but Jordan Whittington recovered Xavier Gipson’s muffed punt return to seal the win for the Rams.
Stafford was 6 of 10 for 46 yards and an interception in the first half, and finished 14 of 19 for 110 yards. Kyren Williams ran for 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.
Rodgers was 28 of 42 for 256 yards and a touchdown to Davante Adams in the loss that overshadowed a promising start for New York.
After Jacob Hummel downed Ethan Evans’ punt on the Rams’ opening drive at the Jets 1, Rodgers and New York’s offense got rolling quickly.
Helped by five first downs, including an 8-yard completion to Adams on fourth-and-2 from the 20, the Jets got down to the Rams 11. Rodgers pulled off a pretty play-action fake, rolled to his right and found Adams in the back of the end zone for a touchdown that gave New York a 6-0 lead with 23 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Carlson was wide left on the extra point, his second miss this season.
It was the second game in a row the Jets scored on their opening drive after not doing so previously this season. The 99-yard scoring drive was New York’s first since 2016, when it did it also against the Rams. It was the Jets’ fifth 99-yard TD drive since 1963.
It was also Rodgers’ 499th regular-season TD pass and the 82nd time he and Adams have combined for a score, including the playoffs, tying Miami’s Dan Marino and Mark Clayton for the third-most in NFL history.
Tony Adams intercepted Stafford on the Rams’ next drive, ending the Rams quarterback’s career-best streak of five games without a turnover. But the Jets turned the ball over on downs when interim coach Jeff Ulbrich opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 but Breece Hall was stopped for no gain, giving Los Angeles the ball at New York’s 33.
The Rams took advantage of the short field when Williams went up the middle for a 2-yard TD run, but Joshua Karty hit the right upright and the teams were tied at 6 with 6:22 left in the second quarter.
Carlson’s 21-yard field goal as time expired in the first half gave the Jets a 9-6 lead. Karty’s 38-yarder early in the fourth quarter tied it.
Injuries
Jets DL Quinnen Williams tested out his injured hamstring a few hours before the game, but was scratched. … CB Sauce Gardner sat out the second half with a hamstring injury. … Tony Adams injured an ankle in the third quarter. … Rookie LT Olu Fashanu hurt his left foot midway through the fourth quarter and was carted to the locker room from the sideline.
Up next
Rams: Host the NFC West-rival Arizona Cardinals next Saturday night.
Jets: Head to Buffalo to take on the AFC East-rival Bills next Sunday.
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